The Magic in Bridgeport
by Roger Klepper

My Neil Young journey began with Live Rust in my early teens, but I had only experienced Crazy Horse live for a pair of Alchemy shows in NYC in 2012. Then many, many years of hope went by that the Horse would ride again. Now the Love Earth Tour is here, along with all the anticipation and uncertainty. What will the playlists look like? Will the magic still be there?

I caught the first night in Forest Hills, New York, on May 14, so I already had those questions fully answered. But then came Bridgeport, CT, on May 18. For whatever reason -- the venue, the sound, the set list, the vibe -- it got to a place that I did not think was still possible. This tour has leaned on greatest hits, but this show veered deeper, with the Big Time encore going completely off the tour’s menu. It was a rarely heard treat, complete with the lilting keyboards (tech Bob Rice) punctuating those signature chords. It was a small detail, but symbolic of Neil’s obsession with things being as they’re supposed to be. From the Cortez opener through the Big Time encore, that is exactly what we got, everything somehow miraculously sounded exactly how it was supposed to sound, yet also how we had never heard it before. I’m still in awe, filled with deep gratitude. Not sure what the future holds, but for one night, Bridgeport was magic.

Roger Klepper 1 Neil Young with Crazy Horse at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, Connecticut, May 18, 2024. Photo by Roger Klepper.

roger klepper 2 Roger Klepper